Next Day, 2:00 p.m. ;"David Florence and Shawn Florence are back in the town, Xinghe.", Ashfakh Ali informed the girl, as he looked at the two heads delivered to him at his doorsteps, rolling his eyes. "Cla.s.sic David.", he muttered under his breath.
"Let me guess. Heads ripped apart. Handed over on a Silver Platter!", Rong Xinghe chuckled, observing the electoral results across different provinces and states and localities, on her iPad screen. Today, Country X was to select their two heads. The Prime Minister and the President. And she was to consent their position and power.
Basically, the girl couldn"t afford to spare even seconds, let alone minutes, for her own engagement preparations, that was to take place the next day. She had left it for her brothers and darling to handle. They, of course, understood her dilemma.
"Something like that.", the man chuckled, covering the top of the wooden carton with some dull cloth.
"So now that the Florence brothers are with us, what are your plans?", she asked, glancing at her brother, Mo Zixuan, reporting the elections" scenario live. No doubt ladies fancied the Media Magnet. Handsome yet n.o.ble. The gentleman with the neat suits. Professional and appealing approach. Who wouldn"t fall for a man such as this one?
"We"ll just hang around in some club. Since we all have nothing to do here in Country X, we might as well get some drinks.", the man said, unlocking his apartment door, "Blow off some steam."
"Productive."
"I love you too, Baby."
"Could you not?", the girl groaned.
"How will you deal with David, if you can"t handle this bit of flirting, Xinghe?", Ashfakh Ali laughed, "Not to mention, Shawn"s charms."
"Shut up."
____________
4:00 p.m., Military Chief Office, Conference Room ;
"Please be seated.", Rong Xinghe strode into the huge meeting room, nodding faintly at the three prominent candidates, the ones with the highest number of votes. All the three aiming for the throne of the Prime Minister.
"Let us keep this simple. Since the past one year, you three have been fighting for this position.", the girl said, sitting at the head of the table, "And it has been an intriguing war, I must confess.
"But the public"s opinions wouldn"t even matter if the Military wouldn"t stand by your side. So now, shall we discuss the agendas concerning the Armed Forces?"
____________
6:00 p.m., Blush Nightclub ;
"Has she gone crazy?! All those five years, she kept pledging that she would never marry. And now, a prince charming walks into her life and out of nowhere, she is selecting wedding gowns and honeymoon suites?!", David Florence downed three vodka shots, one-after-the-other, exhausted.
"I know, right?!", Ashfakh Ali smiled, "But he seems to be genuine for her. To be honest, he has changed her for the better. She is no longer the Ripper we used to know."
"How is that a good thing?!", David frowned, ordering a beer for himself, "Ripper is a part of her. The more she will suppress it, the more it will be painful for her to handle it when that side is awakened later.
"And you have my word. We cannot keep the Ripper in control, no matter how hard we try. It"s better for her to get used to it."
At this time, Shawn Florence, spoke up, shaking his head firmly, in denial, "That is the thing, brother. Ripper can"t be controlled. And that beast is irrational, it"s insensitive. It took her an entire year to conceal that part of hers. It would be better if we keep it that way. No need to evoke her alter ago."
"Do you have any idea what you are talking about, Baby Brother?!", David hissed, squinting his eyes at the man.
"Ripper has the strength to bring down the h.e.l.lfire to Country X if her rage isn"t kept under check.", Shawn stated the matter-of-factly, "And David, one more thing. No one knows and understands the Ripper, better than I do. Never forget that."
David Florence and Ashfakh Ali stared at the young man, who was looking at them meaningfully. He was right. They knew Alqatil, they had seen it. But Shawn, he understood that monster beneath the human skin. So if Shawn was suggesting to not provoke the Ripper, it was the most logical and sensible thing to do.
____________________
Meanwhile, Somewhere in Syria ;
Two boys, inside one of the many thin, green canvas tents, trembled, as their hands involuntarily filled the mini-barrels with the gunpowder, from the huge cardboard boxes, in the middle of the tent. Their eyes were swollen from all the beating and lack of sleep. Clearly, they were starving. Kidnapped a week ago from their village, they were hauled here, to do this work for the men with the "guns". They weren"t educated. Merely twelve years old, the two missed their home. But they knew they were helpless.
"Firoz... Who are these people?", a boy whispered softly. Nervously.
"I don"t know. But just keep doing what they ask us to do.", the other boy, who looked evidently mature, said, "They can kill us. My mother used to tell me stories about wars and battlefields. I think they are terrorists. They are dangerous. We should never wrong them."
The young boy just nodded. Obediently. This was the first time he had heard the term "Terrorist". He didn"t even know how to react to it. But he could sense the seriousness in the other boy"s voice when he said "they are dangerous". He felt it.
"What are we doing right now?", he asked again, after some time, looking at his fair hands covered in the black.
"I heard them talking earlier. They said this powder is mixed with some acid. For bombs or something.", Firoz said, shrugging his shoulder, "They want to attack a girl. Xinghe. Yes! That"s her name.
"Two days ago, I was told to serve Ustad some tea. I saw the girl"s photo in his hands then. She is beautiful, you know? But he seems to hate her."
While the two boys were talking, a tall, blatantly decent man stepped into the boys" tent. Behind him, lied the two bodies of the men keeping an eye on the two village lads. But this man was wearing the same clothes as them. The boys were startled, and confused. Why would he kill his own friend, they wondered.
"Where is your Ustad, Firoz?", the tall man sat down on his knees, questioning the boy in a patient, calm tone.
"Two te... tents away from us.", Firoz stammered, pointing to his left, "Who... who are you, Sir?"
"My name is Zheng Gen.", the man smiled, standing up, he turned around to rush out of the canvas, pulling out his gun, "A Hybrid. That"s all you need to know."